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Sep 14 · 198
Shoulders High
AprilDawn Sep 14
above the fray
is always  something
I'd  try to say
mine are so  slight  
padding them
  back in the day
always  helped
the mirage  of  broadness
even though the load  
was so little
then
in a  blur
life  was stacked
  and packed
so high and wide  
now my shoulders
ache at night  
held any which way
above the fray
Aging up  is a blessing and a curse
Apr 2022 · 195
Turn of the Blade
AprilDawn Apr 2022
it seems
you somehow slithered  away  
from an earthbound
judgement day

make no mistake
very soon
I Will Finally Know Your Name  


Two decades of
investigations  surrounded
that fatal altercation

What did you feel
as you stabbed
    him
repeatedly
and then just
walked away

Do regrets hound you
in the middle of the night

I can only hope
the devil  lies in wait
for your final days

somehow
you slithered  away  
from an earthbound
judgment day
I have not written anything for  2 years  at least. I felt the need to  talk about recent developments in my life.My husband of 20 years was murdered at work  July 2002.We are at the point of disclosure  finally , but do not  have a solid enough case to indict. Bittersweet and frustrating for us, extended  family  and  all the  investigators and manhours poured into this investigation.
Jun 2018 · 484
Lullaby
AprilDawn Jun 2018
fans blowing
all around me  
little bits of light
peaking around   corners
of the room
keeping it from
pitch black
blanket toss tango
piled between us
too hot
too cold
tired
just
not sleepy
myriad of sensations
magnified in a wakeful state
knots on the fabric of the sheets
didn’t I just buy these?
my knee hurts
is this a hot flash?
random unlinked thoughts
dance through my mind
as light rhythmic snoring
serenades me
from the other side
of the bed
turns into my lullaby
and I fade out ….
late spring nights, uncomfortably warm , a partner who snores ...but it's ok ...music to my ears apparently!  !
Mar 2018 · 609
Burst
AprilDawn Mar 2018
into my bleak early Spring
afternoon
this mist of sticky juice
my normally clogged nose
inundated with bold proof
of   lurid promises
from citrus groves
bathed by sunlight
on a foreign soil
while my entire body
sanguinely sings
your praises
and my fingers
continue to peel
away until every morsel
is revealed
and devoured
I bought a bag of  blood oranges the other week, and every other day I eat one with my fiancée. The smell and texture is divine.
Nov 2017 · 494
Cerise Noir
AprilDawn Nov 2017
those  fruits
always  boasted
such sweet  promises  
every summer 
 they  arrived
at the fruit stand
  in town
wrapped in foreign writing
my dreamy eyed little girl
nibbled them  
with red stained lips
she  asked
her  gramps
one summer afternoon
if  they could plant
their own  cherry tree
so he took her  to a spot
and together they did plot
to  raise cherries by
the driveway
the pits  took hold
in the  rich  soil
as  they both thrived
tall and strong
it  littered
the front
of her grandparent's  house
with it's delicious bounty
we  stood  under the tree
every summer  
we could come
as they  rained down
upon us
still going strong
three decades later
although
we have not
been around
for a great long while
to delight in
this 
 sweet
red legacy
Cerise Noir   is pronounced  "Serreese  Nowar" , it's French for black cherries.My daughter, parents and myself always loved sweet black cherries  and when we lived in Germany  , the cherries would come in from  southern France  or Italy every  summer. My daughter  who was 5 at the time wanted to grow her own fruit tree. So she and my father  planted  black cherry pits. They took and for  may years  there were black cherries towering over  my parents driveway ! My parents recently sold that property and we so hope someone  is still picking them and not just letting them go to waste.
Nov 2017 · 379
Desolate
AprilDawn Nov 2017
light green
empty branch arms  
turned away
  from the brown brick house
held in line
by the  gray
  edge stones
sinking  deeper into
Winter's drab slumber
biding time
until the dream of Spring's
budding promise
becomes a  solid future  
with a  stunningly
luscious wave
of hot pink
Hibiscus  flowers  
as a backdrop
to  the brown brick house
kept in check
by  gray edge stones
until  the petals drop
into the sneaky
Autumn sun  
and  desolation
sets up shop
in lonely green arms
again
The hibiscus  in   my Eddie's Mom's   front garden  looks so dramatic at times  during the year...I felt it needed it's own poem.
Nov 2017 · 331
Vintage Crush
AprilDawn Nov 2017
blossomed
during  those
last high school days
a  sweet memory
pressed  into  my psyche
his  big smile
framed with  dimples
and sparkling blue eyes
although coupled
with unrequited  love
where it dwelled
for decades
  in a musty  yearbook
until a chance meeting
online
brought sparks to life
then this
vintage crush
infused our  two
aging  hearts
   with
  newborn love
I bought this  bottle of  white wine  a few months back , and the label said " Vintage Crush", in my mind  I  immediately related it to my  fiancé  and my 's relationship.  We knew each other back in the day, and he thought we were just friendly ,  but I had always wanted more.We caught up with each other  26 years later , and  we have been a couple  for the past nearly 10 years now.
Jul 2017 · 518
Snapped
AprilDawn Jul 2017
raw
green beans
this past afternoon  
brought back
my Oma
full white apron on
in  the kitchen
one summer  
in Germany
decades ago
window wide open
to the garden
sitting at the table
busily breaking them up
together
for her delicious vegetable soup  
I'm  helping ,I'm helping
I said as  they broke
in my little fingers
her soup
a mere  memory
as she  stopped making it
   a lifetime ago
Oma was my  German grandmother who  I visited every summer growing up in the 70's , no matter where we were stationed  ( My Dad was in the military ) we always  visited her  at least once a year .She died  in  1982.
Jul 2017 · 546
Only things
AprilDawn Jul 2017
I like about
July
are multitudes of pink mimosa trees
on countless country
roads
with orange day lilies
running rampantly
along stranger’s driveways
air thick from
smoky spent fireworks
trigger thoughts
of sad
goodbyes
said way too soon
Too many  anniversaries of  loss   intersect in July for me .
Jul 2017 · 367
Press
AprilDawn Jul 2017
ever so
gently
don’t want to bruise
sweet giving
flesh
suggestive satisfaction
hangs between
my patience
and fingertips
that tactful test
on well ripened
curves
Peach time ! Blink  and you'll miss the window between hard as a rock and  ripe for devouring !
Jul 2017 · 579
Empty
AprilDawn Jul 2017
space
just plain
gone
where you once
flaunted  your  beauty
is now mere grass
to be mowed
it’s been 2 long summers
since I last raced
to snap pictures  
before storm gusts
would shred
your  glory
year after year
they showed up
to  dress up this boring
little back dirt road  
those golden sunflowers
against a deep blue
Kentucky sky
haloed by tufts
of white pillowy clouds
inspired me
to prose and praise
I am no gardener
and cannot raise you
from the dead
summer solstice
now marks the day
I  start sadly gazing
through the space
you use to
occupy
and let out
  a weighted sigh
Our lovely older neighbor lady use to keep  sunflowers  near the end of their driveway  , and for years  my eyes feasted on them  ever y summer. A few summers back  she got  too  elderly to tend them and her son  mowed them over. That space got the just right amount of sunlight   , and   so that bounty of  flowers can  not be replicated anywhere else in the neighborhood.
Jun 2017 · 311
Regret
AprilDawn Jun 2017
the ice coffee
I snuck in
late  this afternoon
red wine
I drank
with a robust
spaghetti sauce
not until
it was time to sleep
my eyes regretted
not being able to close
mind riddled and running wild
with unlaid plans
fanciful schemes
memories mostly hidden
from daylight
revelations leap
out from the dark
shadows
with every toss and turn
grudges
lain bare
with my uncovered legs
my only hope of absolution
remains in the desperate hope
to exhaustedly
dissolve  into dreamscapes
where regrets are simply keys
to opening
doorways
to subconscious delusions
that  make
some sort of sense
there
because
you tell them to
I keep forgetting  I can't do  coffee  after 5:30 pm or  red wine past 9 pm...
Jun 2017 · 490
Cameo
AprilDawn Jun 2017
Never ever
has
anything
been so beyond
my reach
I know less now
than I did
15 years ago
back when this
unspeakable
horror
         happened
still grasping
for reasons
that elude even the
fiber
of an understanding
who ,what and why
reverberates through me
on repeat
    while sorting
dusty piles of pictures
                 from a life
that seems like a foreign film
a naïve version of myself
cameo moments
captured within
assorted snaps
your smile
profiled
many times  over
these are the  memories
I try to press into my
deepest mind
instead of  the weight
of ashes
that buckled my knees
in  a sleek
Cherry wood  
     box
I gave
to your brothers
to keep
July 2002 I lost  my  husband of nearly 20 years  and the father of my daughter to ******. Unsolved mystery it remains ,  and these  thoughts creep out from the corners of my everyday life and haunt me  regularly.
May 2017 · 764
Late May
AprilDawn May 2017
announced itself
all around a tiny
quaint white
birdhouse
nestled inside
  the lanky lilac shrub
that towered above the roof  
of our ranch style
rental home
with a  profusion of light purple buds
their heady fragrance
no perfume could really capture
these technicolor memories
of the two New England
Springs spent exploring
on  walks along the woods
while chattering squirrels scampered
on branches
arcing over our heads
fingers crossed
we’d missed the bears  
that ransacked
our birdseed feeder
earlier that morning
as our blind hound
delicately  sniffed
our neighbor’s
blooms
Feb 2017 · 360
Quandary
AprilDawn Feb 2017
Not winter
Not spring
just a crazy weather thing
Daffodils  already playing
show and tell
early pollen
makes my eyes swell
riddles still a plenty
will next month
bring
some sneaky snow
in its wake
seems only the heavens
know
for goodness sake
Weird weather  winter  this  year
Feb 2017 · 528
In Collaboration
AprilDawn Feb 2017
with yesterday’s fruits  
suspended
through  time
and space
a little bit of this
a dash of that
well procrastinated
    till
escaping the mold
is mandatory  
with just
a little
wiggle
ok  , so I was thinking about  how long  things in life sometimes can take when you are waiting , and then while eating a jello salad I started to think  about this  poem...
Feb 2017 · 402
Call dropped
AprilDawn Feb 2017
can't really reach You
  anymore
everything is
disappearing
our old arguments
as well
bits
just  drop away
everyday
naked fear left behind
strangling your mind
normality already
a thing of the past
I  am not sure
when it happened
crept up slow and stealthy
this drawn out
goodbye
not knowing
when my cameo role
in your heart
will fade away
to nothing
Another one about watching my Mama fade away  , this was actually the first one I wrote  a few months back. My Mom and I  didn't always see eye to eye  all my life  .She  loved me in her own way . I am trying to remember that  instead of all the   issues....
Feb 2017 · 640
Conversations in Retrograde
AprilDawn Feb 2017
so many tables  
stacked with catalogs
and coffee cups
our long discussions  
cluttered  with memories  
and
relatives
long renting spaces
underground
potential plans made
like  guest beds in our minds  
favorite tv shows
devouring  our  
afternoons and evenings
together  
dotted  with  
occasional power
struggles
minds at odds
a generational
dissonance
the  backdrop  
for  the need
to leave  the nest
again
freedom I sought
and liberty
was gained
now
flash forward
less than a decade
later
and you
are wrapped
  in a mere
flesh shell of existence
no longer engaged
in this world
with anything
but breath  
and  discomfort
thankful
for tender mercies
am I
  for you
still remember me
for
now
I have begun to lose my mother to  some form of dementia over the past 2 years .I have to relive old conversations from years and decades past , because she cannot  actually discuss anything really anymore  . She is   repetitive and circular in nature now and short term memory is  getting worse. She  was so sharp witted .We had a rough mother -daughter relationship. She does love me , and I am an only child.My father  takes care of her currently   and they  live  several states away from me .She hardly laughs anymore.It is sad for us all to see her disappearing.
Dec 2016 · 445
Unraveled
AprilDawn Dec 2016
Really
the longer you live
the more you shift between
the what is and what was
sometimes the transitions
are smoother than others
today I found myself
within a few layers
of my former life
interwoven
with my current experience
always a bittersweet mixture
somewhere half way
between gratefulness
with a touch of regret
and a modicum of relief
that so many frayed edges
were smoothed enough
to make it all stay together
for the most part
not sure where tomorrow is going
but right here, right now
just hanging in there
and not sure
how long the thread
is…
My life and times
AprilDawn Dec 2016
quilt traps
my leaden legs
every morning
cell phone alarm signals
time for release
breathe, just breathe
roll
to my diversion
look over at him
and smile
drink down
my new tea mug
half empty or is it
half full
difference lies in the next  
bitter pain med
sliding down my throat
sweet deliverance
for a few hours a pop
please tell me
price paid in full
for still being around
Stream of Consciousness Ramblings
Created: 2009-01-09 11:25:00 AM
In November of  2008  I was in a bad car accident with my daughter that left me  with multiple hip fractures  and  dealing with pain, medication and rehabilitation for a few months after. Even after I  was released to go home in late December 2008, I was dependent upon help from my  fiancé . I slept  in a  hospital bed, had an appliance that went into my body  called a pelvic fixator  and open wounds that needed tending and a ***** . Wheelchair  bound for a more weeks  with nurse visits and forced to stay inside  with  a steady diet of Percocets that  kept my pain levels down . I was  nearly fully healed  a few more  months later .This was the one poem I wrote on a blog   under  medication  on MySpace  .They  had  taken off the blogs  about 5 years ago  and MySpace was  finally  able to  send me my old blogs just recently .I had not made a back up of the poem, so it was lost to me for  several years .I remember writing this  with a foggy brain .
Nov 2016 · 494
Plum Picking
AprilDawn Nov 2016
afternoon
under heavy laden
branches
ladders kept steady
with loving hands
watchful eyes
on
little helpers
filling baskets
with only the ripest
of fruits
too sour for nibbling
just perfect
for jelly jars
and visions
of sugar plums
spread  on fresh baked bread
A humid summer day endeavor in 2008 , with  a gentleman who passed away  in July 2015.One of the ways I like to keep  memories alive .
Written  July 2016
Nov 2016 · 535
My delicious
AprilDawn Nov 2016
broken heart
made from all the finest
ingredients
baked to perfection
or so I thought
jagged crumbles
trail down my mouth
scrumptious failure
iced with
bittersweet defeat
never tasted
so  divine
Even broken cookies taste just fine ...
Sep 2016 · 2.2k
Barbeque Smoke
AprilDawn Sep 2016
still hangs in the night air
from holiday meals  
long grilled
the only light  I see
is above
the crescent  moon
and a triangle of stars
boasting of Saturn  
and Mars
plus the  bonus planet  Antares
as I stumble 
yet again
 through the lawn
to find  those
half sunken stepping stones
  on  tilted  soil
headed towards the back porch
where Lily cat meows
  loudly for her supper
by the back door
Impressions of last Labor Day
Sep 2016 · 1.1k
Escaping Rita
AprilDawn Sep 2016
Chased mercilessly
over well- worn tar
palpable loss pushes
a sable brush
dunked in dread
a furious deluge
of fear
oozes out
blackens every inch
of familiar landscape
what if’s
eat through
the still static blue horizon
making a meal
of unborn dreams
slaked only by
hastily grabbed
history
coupled with
ragged spirits
that desperately
haul hope north
safe haven
on strange soil
still dark hours
away
Hot on the heals of  Hurricane Katrina   in New Orleans , August of 2005  was Hurricane  Rita  barreling  our way  when my daughter and  I lived in the  Houston area . It veered off  and spared our home at the last minute  and went off  towards  the Texas /Louisiana line  , but fear  guided our every action as we evacuated  we saw our home   and our lives  hanging in the balance .The horrific devastation   coming across our tv screens and computers   from one state over chased us into  the safety of  the Round Rock near Austin area after  driving   in bumper to bumper traffic for  over 9 hours  up north. Normally  that trip would be  only around 3 hours, but as the population of Houston and it's surrounding areas   headed  to safety,  nerves  were tight and cell phones went out .
Jul 2016 · 413
Sweet Tea
AprilDawn Jul 2016
drunk
way too late
and I knew it
Caffeine
holds me hostage
deep into the wee hours
of the morn
life stories parade
through my mind
with a vengeance
sleep creeps slyly away
hidden
in layers of tangled hot sheets
regrets laced with
fears
bunch up my pillows
he snores next to me
almost rhythmically
it’s ok
at least someone
in this bed
is catching a few winks
I forget how sensitive I am to caffeinated beverages past 6 PM at night !
Jun 2016 · 504
Solstice
AprilDawn Jun 2016
This Summer’s
dulcet legacy
ground
down to a saucy
red puree
to keep around
just a little longer
than the strawberry
June  full moon
a last hurrah  of local berries
little paler than the first batch
savored in the Spring
then again
when the apples are harvested
the reminder of your glory days
will linger
like a long lost lover's
last kiss
Our  local whole life food club  we shop at regularly  mentioned  that  they  would  most likely   not  be getting any more strawberries this season.  This made me sad .
We raced down  to get  one of the last batches  .So I could   prepare it to freeze  for a later date . Our solstice  with a strawberry full moon  was   a theme  I used as well.

I live for local  strawberries in the spring and summer .
Jun 2016 · 627
Screen Door
AprilDawn Jun 2016
a feeble shield
against
hot winds
slamming  
into my face
let the dog out
let the dog in
caught a glimpse
of the scorched lawn
beat a hasty retreat
back into our
air conditioned
bliss
silent prayer on the lips
for not too many more
days  like
this
May 2016 · 671
Just a few hours
AprilDawn May 2016
tucked away
in a comfy spot
then thoughts snuck in
and wouldn't lay
they swirled and hurled
ideas and frets
my tired mind tried
to forget
finally the night swallowed
me in
sleep found me
a tad more frayed
than expected
worries ,they  attack me  while I am trying to catch a few winks at night
Apr 2016 · 431
Another
AprilDawn Apr 2016
set of eyes
to evaluate the clues
of  your untimely demise
I hope these finally spot
whatever horrible plot
stole your days
from us all
another
call made
another
dead end
paved
with unseen motives
conspiracy theories
not yet revealed
answers craved
to this real life suspense
before
another
sad anniversary
flips this calendar
forward
I live with a real life mystery  and have since my husband of  nearly 20 years   was murdered by a yet   unknown  person  .As the years  move forward   and  the struggle for answers with each call to the authorities  nets  no new knowledge  gains  for the past almost  14 years.
Apr 2016 · 756
#FlashbackFriday
AprilDawn Apr 2016
when I popped the top
a burp of root beer
floated
pure caramel sass
then
time peeled backward
and followed
that first deliberate sip
to an exotic land
my small hands
reached  for the  treat
spread out before me
a cheeseburger in the desert
with the bottle next to it
just as brown
to wash it all down
April is Military Brat month, and  I  am one . The other day I opened a  drink , and  it took me back to 9 years old at  a 1970's  military  golf course   dinner  counter on Incirlik AFB ( where my dad was stationed in the Air Force) .I had a taste of America  in the desert  that afternoon  in the middle of Turkey  .
Dec 2015 · 419
Barren
AprilDawn Dec 2015
branches
wrapped  around
pink pulled taffy
clouds
this  last  dream
of  daylight
fades into  
rumors of  night  
skies
smoky with sorrows
and lost  
possibilities
stream of consciousness ,  all about our late   autumn skies ..
Nov 2015 · 897
Mourning Moon
AprilDawn Nov 2015
destined to rise
on this
  November night
every full moon  
these past months  
wore
a special  name  
this one fits
so very well
finally
this  calendar year  
draws ever closer
to an end
moments
and  loved ones
simply framed
by  a bright moon
in a dark sky  
of mournful
memories
It's been a long year   , tonight's impending full  moon rise   brought   these words forward.
Oct 2015 · 1.1k
Succulent
AprilDawn Oct 2015
pie
fragrant with lies
temptation personified
carnal knowledge
will be denied
made for another
who's lips
will drip
stained  with Eve's
notorious
apple
slip
Honestly, this was  a frozen pie I baked for a meal at church , I wouldn't be  attending that night .The smell of it cooling down  and the  vanilla-cinnamon sugar I sprinkled on top nearly drove me mad with  desire .  I remained  steadfast ,not even stealing a nibble  and sent it in  for others to devour.I didn't mean it to rhyme ...
Sep 2015 · 1.1k
Repeat Offender
AprilDawn Sep 2015
Autumn
     arrives
on waves of
sheer exhilaration  
for those summer
  worn  bodies  
hungry for  horizons
enveloped in  
  colorful palettes
fall is courted
with the best
of intentions
a clearly
moody lover
   who year after year
whispers goodbye
in piles of leaves        
         among rapidly
vanishing  vistas
We were all  counting down to Fall it seems this year  , and  honestly  the  beautiful part of the season rushes by way too fast before barren landscapes and cold  remain for what seems like months on end  ...
Sep 2015 · 775
Revelation
AprilDawn Sep 2015
fireflies dance
along the edge
of summer's last hurrah
as cooler air
deliciously descends
over
this small town night
daytime still etched by
the sweltering sun
in a ridiculously blue sky
relieved eyes spy
tender mercies
finally  foretold
in the subtle turning
of  random leaves
along the road
the  air  apparently is about to change
Sep 2015 · 1.7k
Lazy
AprilDawn Sep 2015
holiday
mid-afternoon
late
summer sun
played
hide and peek
through sky high
leaf umbrellas
we all scrambled
past the picnic table
for the perfect light
to frame
that young face
just right
her smile
is never really
in the shade
we finally found  
some spots
that made the shots
and marked
another day
of family life
minus
you
in any frame
A labor day picnic , trying to move forward with loss, yet  the undertone of sadness  still  peeks around  everyday corners.
Sep 2015 · 618
Not Enough
AprilDawn Sep 2015
to pour
anymore
a  sticky
residue
coats
unyielding
jug walls  
it's spent body
tossed  on top
of the  kitchen trash
a sweet token
memory
of your last trip
up north
mapley
  contents spilled
over so many 
waffle
nooks and crannies
like so many
tears
on your last days
here
Our last family waffle night  this past  Monday  used up the last of the syrup Gary ( my fiancé's  late father rip July 2015)had brought back from Vermont  this past April  with my step kids  and  his wife .We finished it, and as it lay there  on top of  the open kitchen trash  I realized sadly  that  how short  of a time  it  has actually been since  they brought that back for us .Wasn't he just here with us all?
Aug 2015 · 699
Calender
AprilDawn Aug 2015
still opened to
June
your presence bookmarked
by well worn memories
that dwell in every corner
every space
on the wall
jam packed
with life treasures
my mind can't erase
your spot in this place
and struggles to accept
what actually is fact
remnants of you
are all
that exist
Saying goodbye  to Gary a little bit more everyday
Jul 2015 · 469
Sun Room
AprilDawn Jul 2015
rockers invited me
to set a spell
those hypnotic hummingbirds
buzz around
the sugar water feeder
right outside the window
by the wooden stairs
summer grass and rampant flowers
entice
the toddlers driving
electric cars
older kids
talking to each other
no cell reception here
adults loiter around the red barn
memories shared
stronger beverages in hand
it was almost like  
any other family get together
Except
pizza boxes and pain
stacked the kitchen
while  the walls
displayed your conspicuous
absence
as
  we'd laid you to rest
with a 21 gun salute
just yesterday
missing  Gary RIP
edited with my Eddie  Jan 2016
Jul 2015 · 1.1k
Firecrackers
AprilDawn Jul 2015
in the distance
Really ?
today is July 6
a slight breeze flutters
through sweetly bedded petunias
my shirt waves freely
after a long  day
of  goodbye
your
battle wearied  body
in  limbo
every hug ,tear and laugh
your  legacy of love
spans  the globe
fills  rooms
with memories
and regrets
that clock
is not your friend
it ticks away
menacingly
marking the last moments
spent in our midst
seems
not that long ago
we all watched
firecrackers
together
on your front porch
rip gary
Jul 2015 · 427
Wiped
AprilDawn Jul 2015
that last glimmer of hope
off my face
unmasked sorrow
invades my  every thought
for everything
that comes
next
I see  that  slip of  space
between life and death  
become thinner
and thinner
Dedicated  to  my fiance's  father . His fight is hard , and we all  care for him so.
Jul 2015 · 408
Front row
AprilDawn Jul 2015
and center
our  sad eyes  
watch   you fade
into nursing home
bed sheets and blankets
hearts break  
  with every  
embattled breath  
everyone
just trying to keep you
in some
sort of comfort
as you fidget and fuss
   propped up and down
moved about  
like  a rag doll
not very long  ago  
life was a bit more
normal
now your ravaged body
and  busy brain
are  totally out of sync
I didn't know you long
yet your life
has left  marks
on my heart
as your final days
loom
all too near
in the dead of night
I try to  comfort
your grown  son  
whose lifetime  hero
is  leaving
this world
behind
My fiance's  72  year old father's  fight with prostate cancer is nearing  an end as it has spread.He put up a good fight and had a nearly normal life until  about 2 months ago.Bed bound now  his final days  are agony to watch  for his entire  family and wife.I have only been a part of this family for 7 years  and never watched a slower  death like this , it is   hard to witness.
Jun 2015 · 814
Pretty Much
AprilDawn Jun 2015
history
almost every one
shredded
dried up and dead
just  that
one last
stubborn flower  
dares those ***** gusts
of late spring
showers
to shake
it down
a gamble  lost
in the flicker
of a storm
cloud
goodbye catalpa tree  blossoms ,your sweet reign  over the back yard is over for this year.Here is hoping I get to experience you again next  spring
Jun 2015 · 720
Crummy Luck
AprilDawn Jun 2015
this immaculate
vanilla  cake
whipped up   high  
with expectations
eggs and fresh milk
begged  for fruit
my pie eyes
spotted
only  a dented seam
sour cherry can
in a  crammed
pantry
or
freezer burned
blueberries
not even the dog
would deign
to nibble
still
it's safe to say
that even this
naked baked cake
will find it's way
into my
greedy grasp
cake dilemma in the kitchen today...but still there is  delicious cake to be had
May 2015 · 925
Not so long
AprilDawn May 2015
ago
my face was supple
as
a sundial peach
moss rose
in bloom
enveloped in solar rays
and water play
these stark days
multiple tubes
of rich creams
and  peachy mineral
powders
make it
to fake it
that  last wisp
of  tangible youth
clings to the  petals
with a slippery grip
the next bud  
ready to
to take it's place
oh to remain a dewy   beauty   in  the physical realm  of  being  for a few more days or even  decades before the  stark  reality of gravity and it's  cruel minions...
there will always be those fairer than thee.
May 2015 · 562
Sweet Wanderer
AprilDawn May 2015
you traveled
to the other coast
hungry for adventure
a break
from the  daily grind
revisit a page
from the family history
a chance  to see
another
way of life
hope this  journey
pleases
your wanderlust
my girl
the path  you take
back here  to me
will be fraught with
that same old
everyday
reality
For my daughter  who is looking to relocate  , she is on  a trip  to visit and figure out if her destiny will eventually take her  there.It is bittersweet , as her travels are  and will take her far away from me.
May 2015 · 1.2k
Batter Up
AprilDawn May 2015
bring it
little Louisville Slugger
poised for action
hits just the right spots
crack of the bat
such simple satisfaction
smack down
straight
into the crowd
hungry for the win
eyes light up
its another
  homerun baby
Not actually about baseball! I do ,however, use  a  miniature Louisville slugger  from my stepkids to crush our bunny  shaped cheese crackers for our tuna patty dinners. Word play...love it !
May 2015 · 543
Blaze
AprilDawn May 2015
a bright trail
of stark Spring sunshine
through the  bedroom
window shade
pry my eyes open
to see
***** dancing
dust bunnies
reminding me
that
spring cleaning
needs to  move up
on my  to -do
list
yeah....dust bunnies, dog hair and winter clothes have set up camp at our house .Got to get to it !
Apr 2015 · 806
Violets
AprilDawn Apr 2015
spread over
this  ludicrously
  green lawn
tormented
by  spring rains
bruised  and battered
their purple tattered
remains  
wait to be  guillotined
by the  steady sweep
of lawn mower
blades
...those  pretty  posies   never last long in the yard  it seems.
Apr 2015 · 935
Horizontal
AprilDawn Apr 2015
stripes  
never made it very high
on my fashion forward
list
the only one that wears
them well
is  the
cloud smeared sky
in this small town
tonight
I never wear horizontal stripes, but  nature  sure  striped the skies  in our small town with layered  beauty  tonight .
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